This is Nottingham -- STUDENTS appeared live on national radio to talk about staying safe online. Radio One and Radio Five Live did a joint broadcast from Bramcote College today to mark Internet Safety Day. While 20 students were telling the country about their experiences, their head teacher admitted the issue of keeping youngsters safe online was a "nightmare". Chris Smith from Radio One and Shelagh Fogarty from Five Live passed the mic around between students while others also appeared on the BBC News channel. College head James Macdonald said: "It is great they have chosen to come to us and interview our students on staying safe on the internet. "After all it is the students themselves who can teach us more than we can teach them about the different apps out there. "The internet is a nightmare when it comes to keeping children safe. Teachers are really up against it because there are so many dangers out there. "That is where our students can come in. They know things and can teach things to younger children that we cannot." Year 13 students Tim Flowers and Lucy Payne, both 18, were among those who appeared on the BBC. Tim said: "Some of the things we talked about included the issues of pornography and dating online. "I think these different apps are fine if young people are educated properly. "I do think it is bad though that you can put up pictures on things like dating apps and they are open for anyone to see them. "Maybe it should be like Facebook, where you had to add someone as a friend before you can see pictures." Lucy added: "It was good to be able to help out on what is an important issue. "Things like online bullying are really worrying in today's society." While Tim's and Lucy's interviews were pre-recorded, the students interviewed by the radio stations were live. They answered questions about starting relationships online and what type of conversations they have had with their parents on internet safety. Courteney Turner, 17, said: "We were told we would be asked a lot about cyber bullying. "That for us is a big issue. Schools tend to know a lot about physical bullying but online it seems to be much more difficult for them. "It is something which needs to be looked at because it can lead to a lot of problems. In some cases people actually kill themselves because of it." Safer Internet Day was held across the country to raise awareness of the dangers young people face online. Chris Keates, the general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, said it was important, adding: "It is of deep concern that too many children and young people are having their health, welfare and lives blighted by internet and social media abuse."
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